Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-17
PROHIBITION ADDRESS.
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Continued from Third Page.
willing TO see your sons enter this as s
life business? Or your daughters select
saloon men as partners for life? II YOU
answer no. repeat over and note the req
sons Won give for not agreeing to such
propositions. If you are opposed to il
IS q business, and to selecting husbands
for YOUR daughters from among
those engaged in it, then why
are YOU willing 20 hold on to it,
and help build up the traffic? Again, sup
pose ali the trial judges and prosecuting
ATTORNEYS in Texas, of the county, crlml-
nal and district courts, for the last ten
years were to meet and prepare report
on the liquor traffic as a breeder Of vice
and crime-many of the Judges have kept
2 record of the offenders tried in their
courts where crimes grew out OF liquor,
directly or indirectly, and would no
d0ubt. willingly give il to the public, if
requested so to dO-suCh g report from
the trial courts would show the subtle in
fueuces Of this vice, and the rapid and
terrible coDquests it makes Of the young
men OF the state. 10 report would come
so near collecting the actual facts as they
exist. and prove to be more convincing.
I suggest that the trial Judges OF the
state and the prosecuting attorneys con-
slider the matter, viewed from the test Of
experience iu the courts for ten years
mast. and make q report showing the
average percentage Of crimes traceaDle to
the liqgor traffic This report viii hardly
fail to convince many who now effect not
to believe that the business is but little
less than q great vice, possessing the
power to do infinite injury. Ia the course
Of nv criminal practice for the past TWEEN
~ wears. l have been able TO observe the
power and influence of this agency in
causing crime, and | do sOIemnlv believe
that it is the source Of more crime than
all other causes together. The report
lust spOken Of would, no doubt, develop
and prOve another ground of complaint
not usually charged to the liquor traffic
that IS. the liquor 8tliC becomes the assO-
ciate and breeder Of other kinds Of unlaw-
full business. Gaming, in ell its forms, is
denounced By law as a vice, c0rrUpting to
good morals, and bHghting to society,
and severe penalties are affixed as pun
ishment for such Offenses. Examine the
subject moment: If you set out TO hunt
places OF gaming, where do you go:
Either in the same house where liquor is
O.,
plies' quickly from the saloon. These
are twin-bTOther vices; they 90 hand in
hand, sowi, seeds Of vice and ruin |
among the people. 1t is possible for
one TO exist without the other, but /
the business is rarely put to such q strain |
they lovingly provide for each other, /
and nearly always reside in the same |
house. It is me opinion. openly express /
ed by inany trial Judges, that for produc- /
ing positive evil, engendeung strife and .
exercising balefUl influence on society .
and good government. all other causes F..
combined cannot equal the liquor traffic.
II l were called upon to point out he Cen
tral, pivotal point where the evil I'M
Diuged against the bOdVpOlitiC and caused /
the most direct and serious injury, !
would say the ballot. In a representa-
tive democracy, q government created by
and for the people, where all offices are
filed and all measures for the common
veal are determined by majority votes,
the freedom and purity of the ballot must
largely measure the value and perma-
nency of good government. A corrupt
and false ballot plUCks the kernel, and
leaves naught but the shell of good gov
eminent. This is the safeguard of social
order; strike it down and official account
ability is gone, the ship of state slips her
anchor. and the vessel and cargo are left
to the mercy of the waves of passion and
fury. The retail liquor houses consti-
tute the strOngholds-the hOt-beds of
plots against the purity of the ballot.
Here plans are laid, willing workers are
employed, money and liquor are distrib-
uted and the voters are bought and sold
like cattle in the market place. THE
food provided by the great no
litCal parties for use in large cities is
carefully distributed among the most pOpu- F.
lar saloons to be used through thevariOuS
agencies to corrupt the voter and pur-
chase the ballot. The practice is well
known. All good and true men abhOr and
despise it, but this agency is so powerful ,
in popular centers that the party or cam
didate ignoring it must fail of election. =,
This braZen, cOrrupting agency often ;
holds the balance CT power, and with an eff
frOntery as bold as it is villainous, de- :
msnds recognition as factor in the pO- :
litiCal campaign. The frequent use of !
these despiCable influences Of late years,
has emboldened those engaged in the +
business and caused them to =
make demands which, otherwise, =
would be intolerable. Are we free from l
this COrrupting and insidiOus agency in =
Texas? Is the ballot pure and safe so :
long as controlled by such s power? l
Read the statutes of our state on this :;
subject. Why is every liquor house =
ordered closed on every day of election =
at or near the place where ballots are de- .
posted, under severe penalties? Because ~
the people recognize this COrrupting and :
oveTpOwering influence over the voter.
But has this effected q cure for the dis
ease? Look at the volume and increase
IF the liquor business Just before and up !
to the very hour the law requires the a."
iOors ClOsed-befOre the election be =
yins-and you will see that the voter is =
handled and prepared for the work he is -
to do. Prohibit the liquor !
raflic, and you take away the men and -
means used to corrupt the ballot; you :
will leave the voter free to determine his :,
lights and interests and restore that Il
,restest of safeguards TO civil Iiberty-a "
,ure and untrammeled ballot. =
II the question was put to every voter -
Who favors the liquor traffic, care you in n
avor of free and pure ballot in TeX4s?" Z,
here would be one unbroken, unanimous 2
nswer, eyes" And yet, you who have =
~ experience in the management of h,
lections in the cities, do know that the n
purchase of votes is hsbitualIy resorted II
o, and the candidate with the "barrel" is y,
early always the successful man. The II
BOLTON of saloons and ardent spirits n
Pill carry with them this demorsiZing .,
ractice, which is steadily eating its way "
ITO the very heart of civil liberty and .,